Partition device



April 28, 1959 L. L. HOB SON PARTITION DEVICE Filed Aug. 16. 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet'l INVENTOR. LLOYD L. H 8

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April 28, 1959 HOBSON" 2,884,154

PARTITION DEVICE Filed Aug. 16. 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet .3

mmvron. LLOYD L. HOB sou,

A T TOENE K United States Patent Q PARTITION DEVICE Lloyd L. Hobson, Elnora, Ind.

Application August 16, 1956, Serial No. 604,516

7 Claims. (Cl. 220-22) This invention relates to a partition device and more particularly, to means for readily defining one or more partially or wholly bounded, spaces of any desired shapes and/ or sizes within a selected range. In one possible application, the device may be used in conjunction with the boundary wall of a chosen receptacle, to divide the interior of the receptacle into a plurality of separate compartments.

Display trays, tote-boxes, shipping cartons and various other compartmentized receptacles are used over and over again for containing articles of different sizes, shapes and quantities. It follows that the desired size, shape and number of the compartments often varies with each successive use, and it is therefore highly advantageous to provide partition means which can be manipulated to vary the size, shape and/ or number of the compartments so as to accommodate these variables.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a novel partition means capable of forming an infinite number of different sizes and shapes of compartments.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a partition device which is capable of accommodating a wide variety of difie-rent articles.

A further object of my invention is to provide a partition means formed from strand material in serpentine form which can be temporarily arranged into partitions without special todls or operations such as welding, stapling, cementing, etc.

A further object of my invention is to provide a partition device which is economical to manufacture, dependable in use and simple in construction.

It will become apparent, as the description proceeds, that my partition device may be used upon supporting surfaces devoid of upstanding boundary walls, as well as in receptacles having such Walls, or to supplement permanent or movable partitions of other types; and that my partition means, being readily flexible, may be bent to almost any desired shape to provide, for instance, a complete boundary wall of arcuate or polygonal contour from a single piece of serpentine material.

Further objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific constructions illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. l is a view showing one form of serpentine strand material which is used in the formation of a partition device coming within the scope of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 2 and clearly showing the inner core of the strand material surrounded by an outer coating;

Fig. 4 is a top view of two interdigitated runs of serpentine strand material, such, for example, as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a receptacle divided into a plurality of compartments by one longitudinal run and two transverse runs, interdigitated therewith, of the serpentine strand material shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 6 is a view showing another form of serpentine strand material having a plurality of U-shaped portions or straight, transversely extending portions of greater length than the other or remaining corresponding portions;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing two interdigitated runs of strand material having portions of greater length than other corresponding portions, said runs being similar to that shown in Fig. 6, with the interdigitated runs being interposed between a bottom partition and a top partition which is thereby spaced from, the upper ends of the portions of lesser lengths;

Fig. 8 shows another form of partition device embodying my invention;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of still another partition device embodying my invention; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an additional embodiment of the partition device which forms my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a run 20 of serpentine strand material formed by a plurality of successive, transversely extending, coplanar, straight portions or legs 21, 22 which are interconnected at successive, alternately opposite, adjacent ends by integral interconnecting portions 23 and 24, respectively. It is apparent that each pair of successive legs 21, 22, respectively, forms a U-shaped portion 28 with an integral, interconnecting, curved portion 23 at one end thereof. At the opposite ends of each of legs 21 and 22, an integral, interconnecting, curved portion 24 interconnects each leg with an adjacent leg to form a plurality of successive interconnected, coplanar U-shaped portions. Of course, it can be considered that integral, interconnecting portions 24 form a U-shaped portion with each successive pair of adjacent legs 21 and 22, and that each of these U-shaped portions is interconnected by integral, interconnecting portions 23. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the length of each of the U-shaped portions and each of the legs is substantially equal. The spacing between adjacent, parallel, successive straight portions 21, 22, in this embodiment, as well as those of each of the other disclosed embodiments, is approximately equal to the width of each of the legs.

In Fig. 3, I [have shown the cross-sectional form of the strand material which is utilized in each of the disclosed embodiments. The strand material is formed by an inner core 25 of metallic material such as steel, preferably surrounded or covered by a coating 26 of an elastic, resilient, rubberoid composition such as microsal.

Fig. 4 shows the manner in which two angularly-related runs of the serpentine strand material may be interdigitated, whereby the open end of a U-shaped portion of one of the runs is registered with the open end of a U-shaped portion of the other run, and the two runs are moved into mutually telescoped relation. Of course, since the spacing between successive, transversely extending, adjacent straight portions is substantially equal to the width of the strand material, the two runs need not be perpendicular to each other but may extend at various desired angular relationships.

A suitable partition arrangement utilizing the serpentine strand material shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown in Fig. 5 wherein longitudinal run 30 is interdigitated with transversely extending runs 31 and 32, respectively, at intersections 33 and 34, respectively. With the partition device thus arranged in box 35 having sides 36, 37,

38 and 39 and bottom 4t), six separate, wholly-bounded compartments are defined.

Fig. 6 shows a run 42 of serpentine strand material of different form. This run 42 comprises a plurality of parallel U-shaped portions 43, and U-shaped portions 44 which are of relatively greater lengththan portions 43. In Fig. 7, I have shown two interdigitated runs 45 and 46. Run 45 is provided with U-shaped portions 48 which are of greater length than U-shaped portions 47. Run 46 is provided with U-shaped portions 50 which are of greater length than U-shaped portions 49. When this partition device is interposed between two shelves or partitions 51 and 52, respectively, it is apparent that partition 52 is spaced above the upper ends of U-shaped portions 47 and 49 on runs 45 and 46, respectively. Of course, a desired number of oppositely extending U- shaped portions could be provided with a greater length than the remainder of the oppositely extending U-shaped portions to thereby space partition 51 below the level of the ends of the remaining oppositely extending U- shaped portions. In this form (Fig. 7), four partiallybounded compartments are provided, each of which communicates with each adjacent compartment at the uppermost level thereof.

In Fig. 8, two parallel runs 55 and 56, respectively, of serpentine strand material are provided. U-shaped portions 59 and 60 are bent into right angular relationship with the planes of their respective nms to provide space within which cylindrical member 62 may be frictionally retained. The lower surfaces of portions 59 and 60 are adapted to rest on a supporting surface and thereby support runs 55 and 56 in the desired relationship regardless of whether they are relatively interdigitated or other runs are relatively interdigitated therewith. U-shaped portions 61 and 62 may be bent in the opposite direction as shown in Fig. 8 to provide space within which another cylindrical member 62 may be frictionally retained, and this arrangement may be repeated along the length of rims 55 and 56.

In Fig. 9, parallel runs 65 and 66 are respectively provided with groups of coplanar U-shaped portions 69 and 70, respectively, which are right-angularly related with respect to respectively coplanar U-shaped portions 67 and 68. Portions 69 extend oppositely with respect to portions 70, and space is thereby provided Within which cylindrical member 71 is frictionally retained. The lower surfaces of portions 69 and 70 are adapted to rest on a supporting surface and thereby support runs 65 and 66 in the desired relationship regardless of whether they are interdigitated with each other or other runs are relatively interdigitated therewith.

In Fig. 10, I have shown a partition device embodying my invention wherein parallel runs 74 and 75 are provided with U-shaped portions 78 and 79, respectively, which are right-angularly related with respect to respectively coplanar U-shaped portions 76 and 77, to provide parallel spaces within which long, slender, cylindrical articles 80 may be frictionally retained.

It is obvious that an infinite member of different arrangements may be provided in utilizing the several forms of serpentine strand material I have disclosed. For example, a single run of the serpentine material could be flexed or bent, and portions thereof could then be interdigitated with each other and with other portions of other runs to compartmentize a receptacle as desired. Desired spaces in a single run could be provided by bending two or more legs into relatively diverging relationship in the same or an angularly related plane with respect to other legs of the run. Rather than bending lJ-shaped portions 59, 6t 61, 62, 69, 70, 78 and 79, shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, at their respective ends into right-angular relationship with the plane of the respective remaining U-shaped portions, they, of course, could be bent at an intermediate point thereof, and they could be bent to any desired angular relationship other than right-angular.

By the term receptaclefl intend to encompass any desired member which may be used for the reception and support of articles, such, for example, as a sales-counter having merely a fiat, supporting surface.

I claim as my invention:

1. A partition device comprising, substantially from end to end, a run of serpentine, relatively stifi, strand material having a plurality of successive, transversely extending, spaced portions, the successive transversely extending portions being interconnected at successive, alternately opposite, adjacent ends by integral interconnecting portions, said run of serpentine material being interdigitated in angular relation with a run of strand material of like serpentine form to provide a plurality of divided compartments when cooperatively associated with a receptacle, said transversely extending portions being parallel with each other and successively spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the strand material.

2. A partition device comprising a plurality of partition members, each member comprising a run of relatively stiff, strand material, each of said runs having, substantially from end to end, a plurality of successive, parallel, transversely extending, spaced portions, the successive transversely extending portions of each run being interconnected at alternately opposite, adjacent ends by re turn bent portions to form a serpentine member, said partition members being interdigitated by registering the space between two successive transversely extending portions of one of the members with a corresponding space on another member and telescoping the members into angularly related relation.

3. A partition device comprising, substantially from end to end, a run of serpentine, relatively stiff, strand material having a plurality of successive, transversely extending, spaced portions, the successive transversely extending portions being interconnected at successive, alternately opposite, adjacent ends by integral interconnecting portions, said run of serpentine material being interdigitated in angular relation with a mm of strand material of like serpentine form to provide a plurality of divided compartments when cooperatively associated with a receptacle, the length of a plurality of pairs of adjacent transversely extending portions being substantially greater than the length of the other transversely extending portions, and said plurality of pairs of adjacent portions being adapted to provide supporting means for a partition to be spaced from the ends of said other transversely extending portions.

4. A partition device comprising, substantially from end to end, a run of serpentine, relatively stifl, strand material having a plurality of successive, transversely extending, spaced portions, the successive transversely extending portions being interconnected at successive, alternately opposite, adjacent ends by integral interconnecting portions, said run of serpentine material being interdigitated in angular relation with a run of strand material of like serpentine form to provide a plurality of divided compartments when cooperatively associated with a receptacle, a plurality of said transversely extending portions being parallel to each other, and a plurality of adjacent, transversely extending portions being bent into angular relation to said parallel portions to provide a space between groups of parallel portions within which articles may be retained.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said plurality of transversley extending portions which are bent into angular relation to said parallel portions includes a transversely extending portion which lies in a plane normal to said parallel, transversely extending portions.

6. A partition device comprising a first run of serpentine, relatively stifi, strand material providing, substantially from end to end, a plurality of successive, spaced,

U-shaped portions, each U-shaped portion comprising two spaced legs interconnected adjacent one end thereof, the opposite end of each leg being interconnected with the adjacent leg of the next adjacent U-shaped portion, a second run of similarly formed serpentine strand material interdigitated in angular relation with said first run at an intersection formed by a U-shaped portion of one of said runs in mutually telescoped relation with a U-shaped portion of the other of said runs, the length of a plurality of U-shaped portiongs being substantially greater than the length of the other U-shaped portions, said U-shaped portions of greater length being adapted to provide supporting means for a partition to be spaced from the ends of said other U-shaped portions.

7. A partition device comprising a first run of serpentine, relatively stifi, strand material providing, substantially from end to end, a plurality of successive, spaced, U-shaped portions, each U-sh'aped portion comprising two spaced legs interconnected adjacent one end thereof, the opposite end of each leg being interconnected with the adjacent leg of the next adjacent U-shaped portion, a second run of similarly formed serpentine strand material interdigitated in angular relation with said first run at an intersection formed by a U-shaped portion of one of said runs in mutually telescopcd relation with a U-shaped portion of the other of said runs, a plurality off said U-shaped portions being parallel to each other, and a plurality of U-shaped portions being bent into angular relation to said parallel U-shaped portions to provide space between parallel U-shaped portions within which articles may be retained.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,127,273 Nyberg Feb. 2, 1915 1,240,137 Hartman Sept. 11, 1917 1,968,658 Stoddard July 31, 1934 2,025,769 ODell Dec. 31, 1935 2,349,399 Awbrey May 23, 1944 2,619,233 Weiskopf Nov. 25, 1952 2,730,388 Roberton Jan. 10, 1956 

